Hello

Hi there! I’m so glad you’ve stopped by to learn about the legal consequences of teen sexting. My name is Melissa Holt and I created this website as my thesis project for the Master of Arts in Digital Communication program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

A little about me: I’ve been a government communicator for most of my career, I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice, I’m scheduled to finish my master’s program at UNC Chapel Hill this December, and I’m a parent to five teenagers (yes, FIVE!).

 

This project was born out of parenting those five teenagers and realizing how potentially dangerous teen sexting could be.

I have two goals for this website:

• To educate parents about the legal consequences of teen sexting.

• To equip parents with tools to have better conversations about sexting with their tweens and teens.

 

Talking with teenagers about sex and sexting can be uncomfortable, but research shows parental/caregiver conversations about sex and sexting with teens drastically reduces teen sexual risk behaviors. So, it’s worth it, parents. Even if your teen rolls their eyes or seems uncomfortable, keep having those important conversations. It matters.

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I want to make it clear that this project is not about blame - for either parents or teenagers. This project is about equipping adults with knowledge and resources to address the issue of teen sexting with their children.